Propelling jack



June 26, 1928.

|. A. WEAVER ET AL PROPELLING JACK Filed March 23, 1925 2 Shee s-Sheet 1 a 4, azz; 2%

June 26, 1928.

l. A. WEAVER ET AL PROPELLING JACK Filed March 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inuam 6 (Pit /655:

Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA A. WEAVER AND GAILABD E. WEAVER, F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBB TO WEAVER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A COB- POBATION OF ILLINOIS.

PBOPELLING JACK.

Application filed March 23, 1925. Serial No. 17,812.

In using so-called truck-jacks with automobiles, which are constructed to raise and lower and, by reason of their supporting carrying wheels, are adapted to transfer or convey their loads, it has been found desirable, particularly in the case of heavy automoblles, to provide power-increasing driving means in association with the jack or truck, whereby the load may be propelled or moved with greater faci ity than has heretofore been possible by merely pulling or pushing the truck-jack.

Inasmuch as such a well-known truck-j ack is equipped with a handle for operating the load elevating and lowering means, at least in the preferred embodiment of the invention, this same handle has been given the capacity through its rocking or pumping movement for propelling or driving the truck-jack and the load which it carries.

- To enable those skilled in this art to fully understand this invention and its several advantages, both from structural and functional standpoints, we have illustrated a preferred or desired embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, throughout the several views of which like reference characters have been made to refer to the same parts or elements.

In these drawin s:

Figure 1 is a ragmentary, perspectiv view of the new propelling truck-jack;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, front elevation of the structure on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the novel truck-jack with thehandle partly broken away; and

Figure 4 is a detail section illustrating one of the double pawls and the spring means for retaining it in neutral or in either operative position. I

By reference to these drawings, it will be perceived that. the truck-]ack includes a main frame or body 11, and, at its forward end, this portion of the structure is supplied with opposite outstanding brackets 12 and 13, each supplied with a suitable caster- Wheel 14, the two comprising the load-carrying means at the front end of the truck.

At its rear end, the appliance has a casting fastened to the spaced, longitudinal elements 11 and supplying a suitable bearing for a cross-shaft 15 on the opposite ends of which are affixed the two, rear, carrying wheels 16 and 17.

Upstanding from the top of the front portion of the frame structure we emplo a bracket 18 bolted thereto on which is ulcrumed at 19 the lower bifurcated end member 21 of a vertically-rockable operating handle 22 which, of course, will be of suitable length to perform its functions.

Revolubly mounted in a front block 23 forming part of the'supportin frame, we employ a longitudinal shaft 24 between the two, spaced, lengthwise-disposed members of the frame, such shaft having a rear, screw-threaded art 25 cooperating with an internally-threa ed socket member 26 the rear end portion of which has a rocking connection at 27 with the short arm of a bellcrank 28 fulcrumed at 29 in a bracket or casting 30 mounted on the top of the truckframe near its back end.

A saddle casting 31 adapted or designed to engage and lift or lower a suitable part of the automobile, is hinged at 32 t0 the upper, longer arm of such bell-crank, as is fully illustrated, the element 31 being properly or appropriately shaped or formed to efliciently and effectively perform its functions.

In order to maintain or-keep the top or working surface of such saddle member always in substantially horizontal position, it is connected to the main-frame by a ly-projecting handle 37 by which it and theassociated shaft 24 can be turned by hand provided the load actuated by the shaft is not excessive.

An arm 38 is loosely or rockingly mounted on the shaft 24 or on the hub of the ratchetwheel 36 adjacent to the latter, and, at its outer end, the arm is equipped with a double-ended, pivoted pawl 39 with which a spring-plunger41 coacts to hold the pawl in either active position or in its neutral, central position.

The handle socket-member 21 has spaced bearings 4242 for a. cross rock-shaft 43 on one end of which a cubical-shaped swivelblock 44 is rockingly mounted and this is connected with the oscillatory arm 38 below by a skeleton link 45 having upper separated cars 46 hinged to the block 44 and similar lower ears or lugs 47 at right-angles to the upper ears hinged to a. block 48 rockingly mounted on the outer end portion of arm 38.

Assuming that the pawl 39 has been shifted by the foot or hand into operative or active relation to'the companion ratchetwheel 36, as the handle 22 is rocked or oscillated up and down, the shaft 24 will be turned intermittently or step by step and the load-supporting arm 28 and its saddle will be correspondingly elevated or lowered depending upon which end of the pawl 39 is in action.

Owing to the leverages available, no difficulty is encountered in raising or lowering any load within the capacity of the appliance.

In order to propel or drive the truck-jack by rocking the same handle in the same direction, we provide the following cooperating instrumentalities.

The rear truck carrying-wheel 16 has a gear 51 on its inner face in mesh with a pinion 52 on the end of a lengthwise-arranged shaft 53 supported at its back end in a bracket extension 54 of the ,rear casting having the bearing for shaft 15, the front part of the shaft havingan appropriate bearing in the lateral bracket 12.

53 has a ratchet-wheel 55 fastened to it and at the side of such wheel we employ a rockarm 56 oscillatory on the shaft or on the hub of the ratchet-wheel and carrying a double-ended, spring-held pawl 57 like the companion elements 38 and 39.

In like manner, a swivel-block 58 on the end of the shaft 43, opposite that on. which the block 44 is mounted, is operatively connected to a swivel-block 59 on arm 56 by a skeleton link 61 like or similar to the link 45 and its connections.

It will be readily understood, that, by rendering the one or the other end of pawl 57'operative on its associated ratchet-wheel 55, and then pumping or rocking the handle 22 up and down, in the manner already indicated in connection with the load raising and lowering mechanism, the truck as a whole and the load which it sustains may be propelled or driven either forwardly or rearwardly as occasion may require.

Thus it will be perceived that the single handle may be used to actuate either mechanism to, perform its particular function by merely controlling the positions of the two pawls, both or either of which may be retained in central, neutral, inactive position when required.

In both instances, the mechanical advantage accrues because of the several serving leverages arranged in series relation, and consequently the necessary work may be performed by the operator without undue effort or strain.

Owing to the endwise thrusts imposed on shaft 24, it is provided with proper means for withstanding them, but it has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate these in detail because they form no particular part of the present invention.

Those skilled in this art will readily understand that the invention is not limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of construction illustrated and described and that many minor mechanical changes may be made in the appliance presented without departure from the heart and essence of the invention as defined by the appended claims and without the sacrifice of any of its substantial benefits and adwantages.

The preferred embodiment of the invention presented above and in the accompanying drawings is set forth by way of example only, some of the possible mechanical changes or other embodiments being indicated by the scope of the following claims defining the breadth of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a truck-jack, the combination of a support, carrying-wheels for said support, movable means on said support to raise and lower the load including a ratchet member, means to propel the truck including a second ratchet member, a handle movably mounted on the truck, two pawls operated by the movements of the handle, the one co-acting with one ratchet member to operate the load raising and lowering means, the other coacting with the other ratchet member to pro pel t e truck, and means to render either pawl independently operative on its ratchet member.

2. In a truck-jack, the combination of a support, carrying-wheels for said support,

movable means on said support to raise and 3. In a truck-jack, the combination of a support, carrying-wheels for said support, movable means on said support to raise and lower the load including a ratchet-member, means to propel the truck including a second ratchet-member, a handle rockingly mounted on the truck for movement only in a plane lengthwise the truck, two pawls operated by the rocking movements of the handle, the one co-acting with one ratchet-member to operate the load raising and lowering means, the other co-acting with the other ratchetmember to propel the truck, and means to render either pawl independently operative on its ratchet-member.

4. In a truck-jack, the combination of a support, carrying-wheels for said support, movable means on said support to raise and lower the load including a first shaft disposed lengthwise said support and a ratchetwheel on said shaft, means to propel the truck-jack including a second shaft arranged lengthwise said support and a ratchet-wheel on said second shaft, a handle rockingly mounted on said support for movement only in a plane lengthwise said support, and two pawls operated by the movements of said handle, the one adapted to coact with the ratchet-wheel of the first shaft to operate said load raising and lowering means, the other designed to co-act with the ratchetwheel of said second shaft to operate said truck-jack propelling means.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

IRA A. WEAVER. GAILARD E. WEAVER. 

